The 378-foot Fort Worth is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship that can travel upwards of 40 mph at sea.

The Navy will formally put its newest warship into service Saturday when it commissions the littoral combat ship Fort Worth at the Port of Galveston in Texas. The 378-foot vessel will then travel to its new homeport of San Diego, where the first two LCS vessels -- Freedom and Independence -- are already docked. The Navy plans to assign the first 12 LCS to San Diego as part of a larger effort to bulk up the Pacific fleet.

Fort Worth is the latest in a new line of warships that are meant to improve the Navy's ability to rapidly perform a variety of missions in shallow coastal waters. LCS vessels are replacing the frigates that have served the Navy for decades. The Navy says it will build 55 of the ships. But it is possible that that figure will be reduced. There has been bipartisan concern in Congress about the cost, design and performance of the LCS. Earlier this week, Representative Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) said the Navy should consider building fewer LCS and using the money it savings to construct more amphibious warships.